Wait on the Lord

Most of us hate to wait.  Anxiety, fear and dread compels us toward action.  We rarely sit still and observe.  We must move.  Most men hate to shop with a woman.  They know that it will be a time consuming task as the women search for the very best bargains.  As the women pile through the merchandise, the men could hold the women’s place in line; thereby transforming their waiting in a purposeful period of time.  Quite simply, the men could learn to be patient in the face of such a significant and monumental experience.  Yet, the men hate to wait. 

More seriously, we hate to wait on God!  We want what we want when we want it and in the way that we want it.  We want God to intervene and make it happen immediately and miraculously.  We begin to doubt God’s character and abilities when we have to wait on His promises.  We wonder whether He is indeed faithful to His word.  We question His abilities to deliver upon His assurances.  In fear, we resort to our alternative plans.  You will recall King Saul’s consultation with the witch of Endor when Saul questions whether God speaks to him.  Similarly, we rely upon our backup plans after periods of waiting on the Lord.

Our impatience initially appears reasonable.  We convince ourselves that we must take matters into our own hands.  Since God seems preoccupied, we believe that a resolution will not occur unless we retake our will and make it happen.  We dress up willfulness and recalcitrance in the rhetorical designer clothes of “rugged individualism” and “an entrepreneurial spirit.” Nonetheless, our impatience usually worsens an already difficult situation.

Actually a recent study reveals that most of our anxiety is baseless.  Forty percent (40%) of the things that we fear will never happen.  Accordingly, it is a tremendous waste of time to project strong emotions about future possibilities.  Thirty percent (30%) of our anxiety focuses upon the past which cannot be changed regardless of our regret.  Twelve percent (12%) of our anxiety considers the criticisms of others who are usually wrong and uninformed.  Interestingly, ten percent (10%) of our anxiety concerns health which ironically deteriorates due to stress.  That leaves the remaining eight percent (8%) of our anxiety which consists of real problems that we face.  Thus, only eight percent (8%) of our anxiety is worthwhile!  Ninety-two percent (92%) of the things that we worry about do not deserve our time and attention.

The story of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 20:1-30, illustrates the power of anxiety.  The king learns that the numerous and mighty forces of Edom, Ammon, Moab and Seir will collaborate to fight and defeat him.  Understandably, Jehoshaphat makes a frightful appeal for deliverance.  In fact, he and his men become terribly afraid. Their anxiety reflects pervasive and lingering fright that imprisons our minds, arrests our hearts and paralyzes our psyches.  In the pit of our stomach, we harbor a foreboding feeling that we will lose something that we have or that we will fail to obtain something that we desire wholeheartedly.  This self-centered fear chiefly activates the impatience and willfulness to which we succumb.  We resent God because He fails to act within out time frame. 

Graciously, Almighty God sends a prophet to Jehoshaphat and reassures the king that He will fight for him.  The prophet tells the king to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.  He says that the mighty enemy that organizes to defeat him will not be successful.  In fact, he tells him that he will never see them again.  Yet, Jehoshaphat must obey the word of the Lord.  Likewise, in the midst of our fear and adversity, we must faithfully follow the instructions of the Lord given by the Holy Spirit.

In trepidation, Jehoshaphat listens to the prophet and shows up for the battle against the powerful armies of his region.  Interestingly, he sends out the praise and worship team before the soldiers.  Similarly, we forsake our anxiety by showing up for the daily struggle and facing our heartfelt fears.  In the humility of praise and adoration of Almighty God, Jehoshaphat finds emotional peace, physical freedom and a rousing victory.  The Lord confounds His enemies who eventually destroy each other.  We, too, will receive such a gracious and benevolent deliverance if we learn to wait on the Lord.  Impatience and alternative plans will result in our defeat. 

However, if we learn from Jehoshaphat’s example, we will enjoy the overwhelming spoils of obedience and patience.  After those four armies killed each other, Jehoshaphat and his men needed three days to collate and collect the spoils of the battle.  We, also, will not be able to receive the incalculable blessings of Almighty God of we learn to wait upon Him.